A FOOTBALLING man all his life, former Switzerland, Inter Milan and Blackburn Rovers boss Roy Hodgson is not particularly enamoured of the modern game, which treats its leading lights more as show-business personalities than working-class heroes.

But his enthusiasm and ambition burns as bright as ever in Norway where he is currently working to bring back the good times at Viking FK Stavanger, this week's Uefa Cup opponents for Welsh Premiership side, Rhyl.

As a coach for nearly 30 years Hodgson, 57, has been there, done it all and probably even designed the T-shirt after plying his trade across Europe and even further afield.

Career highlights include seven Swedish club championships, a successful spell as national team boss in Switzerland, who qualified for both World Cup and European Championship finals during his tenure, two spells with Inter Milan and an all-too-brief period in charge of Premiership club, Blackburn Rovers.

But Hodgson has no real desire to return to the English scene, claiming he has enjoyed the best of both worlds during his career.

"Most of my ambitions have been fulfilled and the major one now is to enjoy my life in football," he added..

"I'm keen to avoid that syndrome where it's a drug you can't do without but I'm still passionate about my work. Every job I've had, I've enjoyed and I've taken every opportunity that has come my way.

"When I talk to people of my era, the likes of Sir Bobby Robson, Harry Redknapp and Jim Smith we all agree we've had a fantastic time, even though the majority of our careers came before the big money started flowing into the game. "But we've enjoyed the cameraderie and the sense of being part of a football family which has largely disappeared today.

"Nowadays it's a show-business world which has taken us beyond the working-class game it used to be. Players today live in the realm of film or pop stars.

"I'm luckier than some in that the last few years have brought me the financial rewards to go along with the satisfaction I've always enjoyed of coaching players and trying to make them better.

"But I've never applied for a job and there might come a day when a British club would like to employ me, so who knows?"

In 12 months with Viking, Hodgson has transformed an under-performing mid-table team into genuine champion-ship contenders. Although the club has won eight domestic titles, the last was in 1991, and this year's Uefa Cup place was secured only as a result of topping Uefa's Fair Play league.

"We've worked hard to improve matters here and I must say the players have made enormous strides in the last 12 months," he said. "This club expects to be among the top three in Norway and that's what we are again aiming for.

"The football in Norway is of a fair standard but is hampered by the fact that all the best players are quickly snapped up by bigger European clubs, who pay much better money elsewhere.

"Standards are improving though and the fans are passionate about their football.

"We have a new 15,000-seat state-of-the-art stadium, which we fill to an average of 90% capacity every game.

"The playing surface is fantastic and the stadium comparable to the likes of Blackburn or Bolton. There's also huge interest from the people in Stavanger, which tends to make my job worthwhile."

Norwegian fans, though, are no different from those who follow Premiership or Serie A football and Hodgson appreciates they are hungry for success.

"We didn't feel we deserved to be in this season's Uefa Cup on merit so the Fair Play place was a huge bonus and we are trying to take full advantage of that," he said.

"There's always pressure on a coach to produce results and the players to perform, but maybe it's on a lesser scale than in England or elsewhere.

"When things aren't going to plan there's only 15,000 fans screaming at me, as opposed to 40,000, so really it's not that different, it's simply less intense."

Although Viking, who beat Portadown to set up the Uefa Cup clash with Rhyl, will be installed as favourites to make further progress, Hodgson undertook one scouting mission to Belle Vue last week to watch their 1-1 draw with a Tran-mere Rovers XI.

And Rhyl boss John Hulse returned the compliment last night, taking in a top-of-the-table meeting between Viking and league leaders, Start FK.

The Norwegian squad, who have three current internationals among their ranks, including former Blackburn striker Egil Ostenstad, are travelling to North Wales tomorrow and Hodsgon insisted they would take nothing for granted.

"Portadown caused us plenty of problems in the first round and I thought they were quite a good team," he added..

"I'm pretty sure Rhyl will be at least of a similar standard and will have their own ideas about how they can beat us.

"The fact that we are midway through our season should help us, in that we are used to the rhythm of competitive games but Rhyl will be enthusiastic and undoubtedly raring to go at the start of a new season."